Only half of British Muslims feel they belong in the UK, according to new research conducted by the Muslim Census Survey.

The finding is part of a wider study entitled The Crisis of Belonging, one of the largest ever socio-economic studies of British Muslims.

The survey found that just over half (51.9%) of British Muslims feel strongly or strongly that they belong in the UK.

A further quarter (25.6%) said they felt ‘neutral’, with around a fifth (17.6%) stating they didn’t feel they belonged in the UK. Of those, nearly 3% (2.8%) said they felt they didn’t belong in the

Less than 10% (8.2%) said they feel positive about their future in the UK, with six in 10 reporting feeling pessimistic.

This rises to nearly two third of young Muslims aged 18-24. This age group were the second most likely to report feeling negatively about their future in the UK.

The report’s authors suggests that this relates to a feeling amongst respondents that the UK feels ‘increasingly hostile’ towards British Muslims, with their findings pointing to feelings of ‘fear, exclusion, and insecurity’.

They say their findings represent a dramatic drop in the number of Muslims who feel they belong in the UK. A 2016 survey, conducted by Ipsos Mori, found that 93% of Muslims reporting a sense of belonging in the UK.

The study also included an open-ended section, where respondents were able to anonymously share their experiences in more depth. One of the most cited themes was the fear of rising Islamophobia.

Several respondents said they no longer feel safe identifying as a Muslim in public.

“I was born here but no longer feel safe here as a Muslim,” one participant said, “[I] am looking to move abroad if I can.”

Muslims also talked about their experiences of being abused and attacked in the UK, with several saying that the situation felt worse than in previous decad

"I have lived in the UK for 25 years and this is the most hostile environment so far with English flags, racial slur and getting stared at,” said one participant.

Another spoke about being attacked and urinated on whilst on public transport.

"Islamophobia is on the rise, I was attacked, a man urinated on me in the train," they said.

The study comes as the Home Office reported the highest annual total of religious hate crimes at the end of last year.

A 2025 study, by Muslim charity Tell MAMA, explored why anti-Muslim hate crimes in particular had reached record highs, citing harmful stereotypes and what they call the "normalisation of inflammatory speech".

In the Muslim Census Survey, respondents also raised concerns about how the Government and media contribute to a sense of being “unwanted” and "less than".

"I grew up with racism and Islamophobia back in the 80s. Then life felt good. I felt part of the fabric of society. My contributions felt valued and impactful. Now I do not admit to being from the UK, because the UK government and many people in power and the media make me feel unwanted and less than,” said one middle aged respondent.

“Instead, I say I'm from Liverpool. The only place in the UK I do feel part of and valued within."

Comment - for once we agree with muslims.  They do not belong in the UK - they are not welcomed.  To refer to them as "British" muslims is offensive.  They are not British, they are simply muslim.